Oilers Who's Who

#35 Dwayne Roloson – Roloson was acquired just prior to this season’s trade deadline from the Minnesota Wild to bolster the Oilers’ net. The 36-year-old netminder had spent the most of the past four seasons splitting time with Manny Fernandez in Minnesota. The Simcoe, Ontario native has been solid for the Oilers in 12 playoff games with an 8-4 record, 2.16 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Roloson has backstopped Edmonton to series victories against the high-powered offenses of the West’s top-seeded Red Wings and fifth-seeded Sharks. Roloson was an NCAA All-American at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in 1994.

#29 Ty Conklin – Despite being the NCAA’s Hockey East Co-Player of the Year while at the University of New Hampshire in 2000, Conklin went undrafted and was signed as a free agent by the Oilers in 2001. Since his arrival in Edmonton from the minors in 2003-2004, the Alaskan-born netminder has served as a back-up (to Tommy Salo) and was a co-starter with Jussi Markkanen before Roloson’s arrival. In 18 games this season, Conklin was 8-5-1 with a 2.80 goals against average and a .880 save percentage. Conklin has never appeared in an NHL playoff game.

#30 Jussi Markkanen - A 2001 draft pick of the Oilers (5th round, 133rd overall), Markkanen was traded to the New York Rangers in June, 2003 for future Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch (Leetch never played a game with the Oilers, instead resigning as an unrestricted free agent with New York a month later.) Markkanen was reacquired by Edmonton in March of 2004. Since his arrival in Edmonton, Markkanen has split time with Conklin. This season the Finnish-born netminder was 15-12-6 with a 3.12 goals against average and a .880 save percentage.

Defensemen:

#2 Matt Greene – The former North Dakota Fighting Sioux played 27 games with the Oilers in his first pro season this year while splitting time between Edmonton and Iowa of the AHL. A 6’ 3”, 223-pound blue liner from Grand Ledge, Michigan, Greene has played in six of the Oilers’ 12 postseason games this year, including one game in the Detroit series and five against San Jose.

#6 Jaroslav Spacek – A 1998 Olympic gold medalist with the Czech Republic, Spacek is a veteran of six NHL seasons with Florida, Chicago, Columbus and Edmonton. The 5’11”, 205-pound defenseman is known as an excellent passer who has tallied three goals and five assists so far in the playoffs. Spacek was traded by the Blackhawks to the Oilers in January for Tony Salmelainen.

#21 Jason Smith – The Oilers’ captain uses his 6’3” 212-pound frame to be a physical presence on the Edmonton blue line. Smith had played in 36 career playoff games without a goal before potting the eventual game-winner in Game 5 against San Jose on Sunday. The Calgary native is known as a throwback-style player whose toughness, hockey sense and leadership qualities buoy the Edmonton lineup.

#23 Dick Tarnstrom – The 31-year-old Swedish defenseman has not played since Game 1 of the conference semifinals. Tarnstrom was traded to Edmonton on January 26 from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Jan Rita and Cory Cross. A 1994 New York Islanders’ draft pick (11th Round, 272 overall), Tarnstrom has appeared in six games this playoff season averaging 11:36 of ice time without a point.

#24 Steve Staios – At 6’1”, 200-pounds, Staios plays a physical brand of defense. The nine-year NHL veteran has played more playoff games this season (12) than he had in his career prior to this season (9). Staios has also blocked 31 shots (fourth in the NHL) this playoff season. With Pronger (38 and second in the NHL) and Smith (39 and first in the NHL), the three d-men have gotten in the way of 108 total playoff shots. Staios signed with Edmonton as an unrestricted free agent before the 2001-2002 season.

#44 Chris Pronger – The 11-year NHL veteran was Edmonton’s prize offseason pick-up this season after coming over in an August trade from St. Louis. Pronger currently leads all defensemen in playoff scoring with two goals and 10 assists in 12 games. At 6’6”, 220-pounds, Pronger is known as a complete defenseman. He is a solid defender with offensive ability that makes him one of the best power play quarterbacks in the league. A first-round draft pick of the Hartford Whalers (2nd overall) in 1993, Pronger spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons as a member of the Blues. Ducks fans will get used to seeing Pronger on the ice as the Oilers’ defenseman is averaging the most ice time of any player in the 2006 playoffs with a 32:37 TOI per game average.

#47 Marc-Andre Bergeron – An efficient puck-moving defenseman with a big shot from the point, this Quebec native is in his second NHL season. Bergeron has played in all 12 Oilers playoff games and is plus-1 with a goal in the postseason. The 25-year-old was named the 2000-2001 CHL Defenseman of the Year while playing with Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

#55 Igor Ulanov – The 36-year-old Russian has not made a playoff appearance this season for the Oilers. In his 13 NHL seasons, Ulanov has pestered opposing forwards with his agitating style in front of his own net. A 1991 draft pick of the Winnepeg Jets (10th Round, 203rd overall), Ulanov is a veteran of 39 NHL playoff games with Winnepeg, Washington, Montreal and Edmonton. This season, Ulanov battled various injuries netting three goals and six assists in 37 games while carrying a minus-11 rating.

Centers:

#10 Shawn Horcoff – Horcoff has been the offensive catalyst for the Oilers this postseason with five goals and nine assists in 12 games. A 27-year-old native of Trail, British Columbia, Horcoff starred at Michigan State where he was CCHA Player of the Year in 2000. Horcoff is excellent in the face-off dot, winning draws at a 55.2% clip. The Oilers’ centerman was drafted in the fourth round by Edmonton (99th overall) in the 1998 draft.

#16 Jarret Stoll – An excellent two-way center at 23 years old, Stoll has four goals and four assists so far this postseason. A native of Melville, Saskatchewan, Stoll was the Oilers’ second pick of the 2002 draft (36th overall). Stoll is also solid on the draw, winning them at a 56% clip during the postseason. The 6’1”, 200-pound pivot was one of three Oilers to play in all 82 games this season and collected 22 goals and 46 assists.

#37 Michael Peca – The veteran center was another important offseason veteran acquisition by the Oilers. Peca came to Edmonton in August from the New York Islanders in a trade for Mike York. The 32-year-old with 10 years of NHL service has a knack for the big hit and plays well at both ends of the ice. Peca has two goals and two assists in the postseason including a highlight-quality goal that proved to be the eventual game-winner in the Oilers semifinal clincher Wednesday night. The Toronto native was originally drafted by Vancouver in 1992 (2nd Round, 40th overall).

#22 Rem Murray – The 33-year-old defensive forward is in his second stint with the Oilers. In the 2003-2004 season, he was diagnosed with cervical dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions. Murray sought treatment and did not play hockey during the locked out 2004-2005 season and signed a minor league deal with Houston of the American Hockey League before this year. The eight year NHL veteran signed a one year contract with the Oilers in March and returned to an NHL lineup playing nine regular season games. The At 6’2”, 200-pounds, Murray is adept on both the forecheck and the backcheck. In 12 playoff games this season, Murray has an assist with a minus-1 rating.

Right Wings:

#83 Ales Hemsky – A 22-year-old winger, Hemsky led the Oilers with 77 points (19-58=77) during the regular season. The Czech native was Edmonton’s first round draft pick in 2001 (13th overall). Hemsky prepped for the NHL in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Hull Olympiques where he earned 63 goals and 134 assists in two seasons. In 12 playoff games this season, Hemsky has three goals and six assists and is plus-1.

#20 Radek Dvorak – Dvorak is questionable for Game 1 of the conference finals with a lower body injury. Dvorak’s biggest asset is his great speed and he can be adept as a set-up man. In 64 regular season games this season, Dvorak had eight goals and 20 assists. The 29-year-old Czech is a nine year NHL veteran who was originally drafted by Florida (1st Round, 10th overall) in 1995 and arrived in Edmonton via a trade with the New York Rangers in 2003.

#27 Georges Laraque – At 6’3”, 245 pounds, Laraque uses his size and toughness to create space on the ice for himself and his linemates. Laraque is also one of the most accomplished fighters in the NHL. An Oilers draft pick in 1995 (2nd Round, 31st overall), Laraque has appeared in six playoff games this season and has an assist to go with 17 penalty minutes.

#34 Fernando Pisani – A solid two-way forward with good skating ability and a workmanlike mentality, Pisani has emerged as a force in the Oilers attack this postseason. The 1996 Oilers draft pick (8th round, 195 overall) has netted seven goals and an assist in the playoffs, including a two-goal performance in Game 5 against San Jose on Sunday. Pisani grew up in the Northwest section of Edmonton and played his college hockey at Providence College.

Left Wings:

#12 Sergei Samsonov – Oilers GM Kevin Lowe picked Samsonov up from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline this season. Known as the “Magical Muscovite” during his time in Boston, Samsonov is a slick skater with stickhandling ability that rivals any NHLer. The 5’8”, 195-pound winger has tallied three goals and seven assists in 12 games this playoff season. Samsonov was the Bruins’ second selection (1st Round, 8th overall) in the 1997 entry draft, the same season Boston selected Joe Thornton as the first pick overall.

#13 Todd Harvey – This former San Jose Shark is an adept agitating forward for the Edmonton Oilers. In his 10th NHL season out of Hamilton, Ontario, Harvey has appeared in four of the Oilers’ playoff games this season with an assist. Harvey signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Oilers in 2004. Harvey has appeared in 62 playoff games during his career.

#14 Raffi Torres – Torres is another solid two-way forward for Edmonton. The 24-year-old Torontonian was a 2000 draft pick of the New York Islanders (1st Round, 5th overall) and was traded to the Oilers with Brad Isbister in March of 2003 for Janne Niinimaa. Torres made a mark in the conference semifinals with a big neutral zone hit on the Sharks’ Milan Michalek in Game 2. Torres has two goals and four assists in the playoffs.

#18 Ethan Moreau – Moreau uses his 6’2”, 209-pound frame and a solid work ethic as an effective checking winger. The 30-year-old Ontario native had 11 goals and 16 assists during the regular season. Acquired by the Oilers in 1999 from the Chicago Blackhawks, Moreau has an assist in nine playoff games this season. He missed the first three games of the Oilers’ first round series with Detroit with a leg injury.

#26 Brad Winchester – A 6’5”, 215 pound forward out of Madison, Wisconsin, Winchester played 19 games with the Oilers this season while splitting time with Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Winchester has contributed to the Oilers’ playoff effort this year skating in 10 games with a goal and two assists. The 25-year-old was an Oilers draft pick in 2000 (2nd Round, 35th overall) after playing four years at the University of Wisconsin.

#41 Jean-Francois Jacques – This 21-year-old Quebec native has not appeared in any games in the first two series for Edmonton. A 2003 Oilers draft pick (2nd Round, 68 overall) out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Jacques had 78 goals and 101 assists in four seasons with Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL. The 6’4”, 217 pound winger was pointless in seven games with Edmonton this season spending much of the year with Hamilton of the AHL.

#94 Ryan Smyth – No player in the NHL is better in front of the opposition’s net. Smyth will set up inches from the opposing netminder to make traffic in front of the goal and wait for an easy rebound. This 10-year NHL veteran netted 36 goals and 30 assists during the regular season and has added four goals and seven assists during the playoffs. Smyth was hit in the mouth by a puck during the third period of Game 3 against San Jose and returned to set up the game-winner in overtime. The 30-year-old Albertan won an Olympic Gold Medal as a member of Team Canada in 2002.